I’ll admit that neither Spain nor Portugal had really been on my travel radar — until perhaps about a year ago, that is, when some of my blogger friends began writing about this particular part of Europe. The more I read about both countries, the more I realized that I did, in fact, really really want to visit both Spain and Portugal.

Believe it or not, I haven’t “done Europe” yet in the traditional sense. I haven’t seen the Eiffel Tower or ridden a bike in Amsterdam or photographed gondolas in Venice. I haven’t actually been a tourist in Western Europe at all, with the exception of the UK.

I plan to change that this summer, and DID consider adding Spain and Portugal to my already-full itinerary.

But then I stopped to consider it.

And then I realized that there’s no way I could possibly dedicate enough time to either of these countries on this trip.

Photo by rstml, on Flickr

Sure, I could zip through Barcelona and Madrid and visit Seville for a weekend; I could spend a few nights in Lisbon and spend a few nights in Porto. But to me, Spain and Portugal deserve their own trip.

I would want to dedicate weeks to this region; not just days.

And, to help make my point, I’ve gathered some of the posts about Spain and Portugal that are responsible for finally getting me interested in this part of Europe:

Spain

Spain could be a perfect weekend break, according to the Globetrotter Girls, but I still want to spend more time there than just 2 or 3 days.

Kate names Sevilla as the most beautiful city in Spain and wins me over with her photos.

37 Comments

Hey are you going to Spain and Portugal on your upcoming trip? Just joking. Me or my partner were robbed in both countries and we still think they’re utterly brilliant travel destinations. But I understand there’s no hurry to get there, when there are so many other countries to visit!Si recently posted..10 things I miss about living in London

Good thought on dedicating an entire trip to Iberia. I recommend you check out the north of Spain, especially Basque Country. I write all about Spain on my blog!Christine recently posted..Madrid Food Tour: A Must-Do in Spain’s Capital

Thanks for the shoutouts Amanda You definitely should save Spain and Portugal. There is way too much to see on a quick Euro trip. Let me know when you want to go one day and maybe I can be there and we can eat tapas and run with the bulls together Liz recently posted..YOUNG ADVENTURESS IS MOVING TO NEW ZEALAND!!!

I think when people hear “round the world”, they automatically assume you’re going to see like, every country ever. It’s hard to explain to people that some places deserve more attention than you can possibly give when you’ve only got a few months to a year, and a limited budget.

As one of those people who tries to jampack in as much as possible into little time (you know, only a couple weeks of vacation a year!), I constantly have to remind myself that those places will still be there in a year or two, and then I can dedicate more than a day or two to them.Megan recently posted..Dream Destination: A Paris Do-Over

I had to cancel my trip to Spain and Portugal this year Maybe next year.
Good point on separating these from other RTW places, Amanda.memographer recently posted..Cambodia. Siem Reap. Floating Villages

We’re constantly asked questions like that on our 11-month round-the-world trip! When we set out, we thought we’d have time to see everything we ever wanted to see, but, duh, the world is immense, and we prefer slow travel, so Ireland, Italy, Greece, India, Bangladesh, Brazil and about 20 other countries we had on our original list, and the entire continents of Africa and Antarctica have to wait for another trip.Paige Conner Totaro recently posted..5 Things to Do in Melbourne with Kids Who Love Animals

Good choice. I spent two weeks in Spain and only visited Madrid and Seville in that time. I can’t imagine running all over the country in a short amount of time. Some of my best memories are in Spain, when I met a family on a plane who then invited me to stay with them. Portugal is definitely high on our list too!Christy recently posted..Puffin Therapy in the Treshnish Isles

Mad props for sticking to your guns. Some places just deserve more time to be done “right”. I really want to go to India…but not until I can dedicate several months to it. Its quite tricky explaining that to people, because they all see this Bollywood-enamored, India-desiring chick and think “geez, just get it over with.” There are some places I’d be fine visiting with only a few weeks or days, but that’s not quite how it works with EVERY country Megan recently posted..Flashback Friday: Coogee to Bondi Coastal Cliff Walk

YES to everything that you shared regarding Spain and Portugal. I may be a bit biased as a Spanish teacher and having traveled to Spain twice (lived there for a few months) and been to Portugal BUT they are beautiful, full of amazing things and I still have so much of both countries I want to see. And yep – Sevilla just may be my favorite city ever in Spain. But Barcelona is pretty awesome too…Lindsey recently posted..Somewhere Around the World…

I think that the cultures of both country are laid-back, aren’t rushed… so having a lot of time to explore is part of the fun of enjoying them! I think it’s a wise decision! Erika recently posted..How to Build Your Blogging Confidence

Good strategy!
I’ve been to Spain tons of times and could see go back. There are just so many different regions and there’s always lots to see.
On Sunday I’m leaving on my first trip to Portugal. Excited!Sofie @ Wonderful Wanderings recently posted..#FriFotos: summer!

I definitely agree! You could sped so much time in this region and not even scratch the surface. We’ve made multiple trips to Spain, including two weeks in Andalusia and I would go back in a heartbeat. The food, the architecture, the people… all fantastic! Take your time and enjoy!Alison recently posted..Kinabalu Park UNESCO Site in Malaysian Borneo

Both great countries (though I haven’t spent too much time in Portugal…yet) and it’s probably a good thing you’re waiting to give them more time. But think long and hard about how you feel about being in crowds before you go to Tomatina. Ugh. I did not have fun that day!Ali recently posted..Sometimes Travel Sucks

In Portugal I’d also recommend Coimbra (for the architecture and the fado) and Obidos, an impossibly quaint white village (whose specialty is cherry liquor)!Marie-France (a.k.a. BigTravelNut) recently posted..Trips for beginners – Part 1

What a wonderful answer to an annoying question You can’t go everywhere at the same time, Lisbon and Madrid will still be awesome next time. Btw: Seville is the most boring and “meh” city I ever visitedJana recently posted..Cheap Eats in Reykjavik

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One ordinary girl in search of
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I'm just a small-town Ohio girl trying to balance a "normal" life with a desire to discover the world beyond my Midwest bubble. I'm here to prove to people that traveling (and especially traveling as a woman) doesn't have to be scary, lonely, or out of anybody's reach. Follow along on the journey!